Afterlife
by bent reality
Summary: 'It is tempting to draw her sword against the shrewd smile. "You know something," she says instead.' Potential spoilers for latest arc – Afterlife: a collection of stories featuring characters who have been forgotten due to overwhelming presence of the major characters. Requests are open!
1. Two Sides of a Different Coin

**Disclaimer: **All characters appearing in Bleach belong to Kubo Tite. No infringement of copyright is intended and is not authorised by the respective copyright holders.

**Author Notes: **Time for a series of short stories for Bleach!

**Warnings:** Surprisingly, none. Mayuri is being strangely docile.

**Timeline: **Post-Soul Society Arc. No major spoilers unless you haven't read/watched that arc.

* * *

**Two Sides of a Different Coin**

Shinigami. Death Gods. Gods of Death. He chortled at the very idea of godhood. Gods were supposed to be indestructible but look at them! Seireitei was in a sorry state after the loss of three captains.

Snickering softly, the captain of the Twelfth Division clicked through the archives of his laboratory. It would be intriguing if he could complete his plans of a garganta gate before the abomination of a man (_blond hair, gray eyes that always knew what he was thinking_) did. Kurotsuchi Mayuri abhorred being compared to that man in any way.

"Nemu."

He snapped at the girl standing silently at the corner. She was quick to flit to his side.

The both of them knew the consequences of not doing so.

"What do you think will happen… if we fuse this a Shinigami's reiatsu with this compound?"

It was a test; an examination of her ability to process information and come up with the appropriate answers. Mayuri smiled coldly. A single black nail tapped on the screen. Everyone always had something to say about the way he treated her. They would never see that it was their so-called morals that blinded them from seeing the truth.

Nemu was Nemu.

Seeing her blood did not excite him any more than killing an ant.


	2. Comparisons

**Disclaimer: **All characters appearing in Bleach belong to Kubo Tite. No infringement of copyright is intended and is not authorised by the respective copyright holders.

**Author Notes: **I've always thought that Shiba Ganju is a really wonderful brother and friend. He might be stubborn and crude, but he really loves his family. There's some conjecture on my part about Aizen's role in this piece, and I'm thinking of writing a companion piece that shows what's going on in one (or more) of the characters' minds. Any preference of characters?

**Warnings:** None.

**Timeline: **Soul Society Arc. No major spoilers unless you haven't read/watched that arc.

* * *

**Comparisons**

Ganju remembers the days when the Shiba Clan was exalted, back when Nii-san would fuss over him while Nee-san brandished yet another crazy invention "guaranteed to make Soul Society stand in awe of the Shibas' awesomeness". The last time that happened, Ganju' nearly turned bald. Even now, he has problems growing back that particular patch in the middle of his head and has to resort to using outlandish bandanas that could rival the Sixth division's lieutenant's collection. He'd blame Nee-san's partner-in-crime, Shihoin Yoruichi, for landing them into a never-ending string of troubles, but he wanted to keep his manhood and pride intact. He wasn't as brave as Nii-san, who would cheerfully go up to the Shihoin Demoness and tell her to stop dragging them into her pranks. Well, Nii-san had the bad habit of laughing too happily when saying that, so Ganju supposed that the Shihoin Demoness would never take him seriously.

Then Nii-san got married. Miyako-san was pretty and smart, qualities that any normal man would have liked in a woman. The wedding was a grand affair with Shinigami and nobles attending the reception. It was a pretty place, he thought, tastefully decorated with help from the Shihoin Demoness. There were lots of big-shots whom Ganju saw no point in befriending, yet went along with it anyway when Nii-san pulled him to introduce his "dearest little brother" ( "_I'm your only brother!" _) to his superiors.

But what Ganju remembers was The Post-Wedding Party, otherwise known as Seireitei's Most Famous Open Bar Party. Everyone was drunk. Nee-san was drunk, ripping off the poor flower bouquets as she threw the petals all around, singing along with the Eighth Division Captain, Kyoraku Shunsui, who was shamelessly hanging on to her in one arm, and a redfaced, glass-wearing woman in the other. Ganju was pretty sure that there were a few men who were streaking around, eager to start fighting until Unohana-taichou stepped in with a smile that looked wider than usual. The rowdy men - Eleventh Division, probably - stopped immediately, going back to drowning themselves in sake instead. He didn't know if the kind healer was drunk. No way he was going to risk his life by asking. Then there were others, like the gentle bespectacled man who said his name was Aizen-fukutaicho. Ganju had nearly stumbled over the poor guy. It was funny how he could hold on to Ganju so easily, carefully placing him onto the nearest chair with a small pat on the back.

"Congratulations, Shiba Ganju," the man had said, "I wish you well." Those words hadn't made any sense then. They made little sense now, too. Ganju hated thinking about that, so he didn't.

Nii-san had been the funniest, sweetest drunkard that night. He jumped onto tables, serenading his "loveliest Miyako" and proclaiming how much he loved his family. It was embarrassing. Then Ganju was pulled onto the table, forced into the middle of his siblings as they started singing some funky song, off-tune. He laughed and joined in, meeting the smiling gaze of Aizen-fukutaicho as he did. The vice captain took his leave shortly after, saying that he wasn't a good drinker and needed to rest. Nii-san had clasped the older man's hands in his with a huge grin, "Thank you, Aizen-fukutaicho. Thank you!" It wasn't till a week later that Ganju learnt that Aizen had been the one who nudged the couple together. He hadn't even known that his brother was close to Aizen in any way.

Everything was a bore after that. Nii-san was busy with his Division as his Captain, Ukitake Jushirou, was plagued with an illness that confined him to the bed. Nee-san began hanging out with the Shihoin Demoness less and less but was busy with her explosive inventions. With nothing to do, Ganju started spending more time with his Rukongai friends. They scoured the dangerous areas and set up information networks, using his gruff exterior to his advantage. It made him feel a little more accomplished. After all, everyone in the family was good at something or another. He wasn't blessed with good looks or intelligence, so he had to rely on being streetsmart to get to where he was today. Ganju was secretly thankful that Bonnie accompanied him where ever he went. She had been a gift from Nii-san, who had rescued her when she was still a piglet. Bonnie was the Shiba Clan's unofficial family member.

If Ganju had known how things would change so drastically after years of peace, he would have been contented with a boring but idyllic life.

That night, the basement was flooded by heavy rainfall. Nee-san, who had been pacing up and down restlessly, had ordered him to clean up the place before the night was over. Tired after a long day of nosing around Rukongai, Ganju was tempted to fall onto his bed and sleep. The sight of Nee-san's evil glint made him bolt towards the basement - he swore Urahara had a hand in building that logic-defying place - without another word of complaint.

Halfway down the stairs, he felt the heavy pulse of Nee-san's reiatsu. It swirled turbulently, different from its steady ebb and flow. His own reiatsu reached out, then recoiled in surprise as it lashed out with a tortured scream. He ran up the stairs and headed to where his Nee-san was, frightened by the sheer intensity of pain in his sister's reiatsu.

"Nee-san!" Ganju cried out, fearing the worst when he saw the open doors, rain pelting furiously onto his sister's face as she knelt on the floor. "Nee-san...?" She did not respond.

That was when he saw them.

A slight, petite figure bowed over the door's threshold, her body shaking as white fingers held onto a sheathed Zanpakuto. She could have been saying something, but Ganju wasn't aware of it.

All he could see was the motionless figure in Nee-san's arms.

"...Nii-san...?" He said brokenly, suddenly afraid of taking a single step forward. If he did, things would be real and he didn't want that.

His sister hadn't spoken a word. The small Shinigami - Kuchiki Rukia, Nii-san had said once, introducing the girl to him with pride, as if she was his own sister instead of the Kuchiki Brat's - bowed again, then fled without a second glance. As if her motion triggered his, Ganju staggered towards his sister, falling onto the ground as his Nii-san's peaceful face finally came into view. Grabbing the blood-stained shihakusho, he wept.

They never spoke of Kaien after that.

Ganju knew that Nee-san had saw his wounds, and knew that she had came to the same conclusion as he did. Nii-san had been killed by a Zanpakuto. He had been betrayed by the very organisation that he loved and fought for. Miyako was dead too. The Shiba Clan dissolved after that, the clan nobles unable to accept that their prodigy, Shiba Kaien, was dead. They could not acknowledge Nee-san as the next heir and as for Ganju, he wasn't even considered to be worthy of the name. Yet Nee-san and him went on with their lives, absorbed in creating spectacular fireworks that would light up the whole of Soul Society.

"_Fireworks sure are nice eh?" _Nii-san had said before, during the summer festival when he had just become a vice captain. "_They brighten up everyone's hearts. Look how everyone is smiling, Ganju. Remember how radiant a smile can be."_

And that's how the Shiba Fireworks came about.

When Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends entered Soul Society, seeking their help to save a friend, Ganju couldn't help remembering his Nii-san. Sure, the hair colour was nothing alike, and Ichigo was brash, rude and totally incompetent. But Nii-san might ruffle the human boy's hair in surprise, laugh that cheerful chuckle of his, then start introducing him as his "long-lost little brother." It wouldn't be that much of a surprise if they were related, but Ganju doesn't see any point in digging up family histories.

He doesn't compare the two. His Nii-san would be proud of him now. He, the youngest in the Shiba Clan and known for being a "gangster-wannabe" was facing the Kuchiki Brat - he's a captain now, fancy that! - to save the Shinigami who had killed his brother so many years ago.

"I don't know how it is with you nobles. But a coward that could be scared away by something like that... does not exist in the Shiba family!"

Because a Shiba strides forward no matter what happens and uses his heart. And because he knew just how much Ichigo wanted to rescue Kuchiki Rukia. For that, he will not compare the two.


	3. Still Waters

**Disclaimer: **All characters appearing in Bleach belong to Kubo Tite. No infringement of copyright is intended and is not authorised by the respective copyright holders.

**Character(s)****:** Kojima Mizuiro, Urahara Kisuke, Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, Arisawa Tatsuki, Asano Keigo

**Warnings:** Mild male-slash.

**Timeline: **Up till Deicide Arc, deviates from canon after that.

* * *

**Still Waters**

Imagine this:

The world is a game.

_You must not let me down, Mizuiro._

There are no rules. All you need is a fair bit of intelligence, a way with words, useful connections. Qualities that you possess. There is very little that you lack. You try to keep a low profile in school, unable to see the logic in forging bonds with children. You don't need them.

"_Oi. Kojima Mizuiro, right?"  
_"_Yes, Kurosaki-san?"  
_"_Don't call me that. That's Goat Face's name. Name's Ichigo."  
_"_Ah. Ichigo-san. Is something the matter?"  
_"_Nah, just checking if you are okay. Saw Fuzuki dragging you out during lunch."  
_"_Fuzuki-san was simply concerned for my well-being."  
_"_Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Mizuiro. See you tomorrow."_

Kurosaki Ichigo was an anomaly. You never asked for his friendship. The scowling boy waltzed – swaggered, actually – into your life as if he had always belonged in it. His friendship was a bond that held no expectations. It made you wary. Eventually you learn to accept that Ichigo wasn't going away. Then came Chad, Asano Keigo, Ishida Uryuu, Inoue Orihime, Arisawa Tatsuki–

You wonder what your mother would make of it. She hasn't spoken to you for days.

You listen to her voicemail again.

"_Mizuiro, sorry about this but can you have dinner by yourself tonight? I won't be home till late. Don't stay up. Love you!"_

You reply her text message.

_Having a study session with classmates. Staying over. Heat up the bento if you're hungry._

You delete the e-mails from women who have too much time on their hands. Women love you. They interpret your apathy as blank innocence, unsaid words as youthful promise. You don't correct them. It is easy to let them believe in what they need to hear. Demand and supply. Supply and demand. You're profiting from them, after all.

A transfer student shows up unannounced. She is made of bright violet eyes and a lithe, petite figure. Not your type. Her odd way of speech has you cringing, but you introduce yourself all the same. A gentleman has to be professional.

Then you notice how different she is with Ichigo. You entertain the possibility of romance, then dismiss it when you see that Chad, Orihime-san and Ishida begin behaving strangely. Oh, they might think that they're doing a good job of keeping it a secret, but it's painfully obvious. Ichigo cannot lie to save a life. Chad's face flushes as he struggles to say something. Orihime-san starts blubbering about robots, aliens, giant marshmallows with great enthusiasm, yet the minute pause before she speaks says volumes. Even Ishida's condescending tone is tampered by the twitch in his fingers, the trembling of his hands.

You smile and pretend not to know a thing, pulling Keigo away from them before his blabbering causes another huge scene.

You don't need them.

The night Arisawa, Keigo and you follow Ichigo into that shady shop run by an equally shady but admittedly handsome shopkeeper marked the end of everything.

After listening to Urahara-san's words, Tatsuki – you're not sure when you started referring to her by her first name – has already dragged Keigo out of the shop, muttering something about training their asses into shape. You lingered in the silent shop, absently running fingers through the assortment of candies.

"Ah~ Mizuiro-kun, was it?" Green and white flutters into view. You stop. Plaster on a polite smile, then turn to face the handsome Urahara-san.

"Yes, Urahara-san?"

"Is something bothering you, Mizuiro-kun?" His flippant tone gets on your nerves. Your smile turns a tad sweeter, a little wider. You want to tell him that _yes, you are bothering me so could you just disappear right now, thank you very much and goodbye._

"Do you make any profit from this tiny shop?" You say instead. Urahara-san chuckles, waving his fan with dizzying speed as he ambles towards you. Something pushes against your shoulders. Your knees start to wobble.

The fan touches the tip of your nose. Urahara-san is a breath away, his grey eyes boring into yours. Calculating. Measuring. The weight drags you downwards, drowning, robbing you of your breath. Even so, you stare back. You take in deep breaths, kneeling from the invisible pressure probing against you. It winds round your neck, your body, your eyes, reaching into your nerves. You imagine pushing it away.

The fan drops onto the floor.

"I see," he says,"I see."

Urahara-san kneels in front of you and tucks the fan into his sleeves. He places one hand on your shoulder and smiles.

"You don't believe in us."

"Is there a reason to?" You ground out, wishing you had the energy to slap away his hand. No. It's not his hand. Not the real one. This is just a faux body. A gigai, Urahara-san had said. You are no closer to his true self than you are to everyone else.

"Touche," Urahara-san murmurs, his fingers stroking your hair. It irks you. Something about this man, this Shinigami, makes your skin crawl in anticipation of things that you refuse to think about. "What will you do if you face somebody who is capable of crushing your soul, then? Will you be too afraid to do anything other than glare back at him? Can you even fight back?"

Oh, this man was infuriating!

"Anything that exists can be killed," you jerk away from his touch, toppling backwards. Right. You have forgotten that your legs are still numb.

Urahara-san has you in his arms before you fall. You can feel the warmth radiating off from his gigai.

"That applies to you too, Mizuiro-kun."

"I won't die so easily."

His gaze is too invasive. You stand up on shaky legs, bow, offer a polite good-bye, and leave the shop before Urahara-san can say anymore.

It takes months before you meet another like him. You awake from a long, surreal dream to enter another.

"So, check this out. Stun guns, one for everybody." You smile cheerfully, ignoring Tatsuki's question of how you'd gotten them. Isn't it basic protection?

"They're useless," Tatsuki declares, "This isn't the kind of opponent those will work against. All he has to do is to get close to you and you can't move. And Kanonji's stick here turned to ash when it got close to him."

_Blond hair, grey eyes and assertive touches. _

"No way, what a cheater," you say blandly, "Guess he's not human."

You can't help wondering what might have happened if you had not fled that night. Out loud, you talk about how the stun guns should be put aside. No point in carrying useless baggage.

When the enemy finally arrives, you almost laughed. He was nothing like Urahara-san! You throw a bottle at him to test Tatsuki's words.

"Uwah, things really do turn to ash," you say in rapt fascination. The man, dressed in pure white clothes with a tattered collar, focuses his eyes on you. Black and gold flashes with amusement. You ignore the way his gaze sparks with sudden understanding.

Anything that exists can be killed. You throw the canister towards him, pushing the others away before igniting the expelled gas with a lighter. Tatsuki shouts something about you being insane, to which you shrug off with a placid smile.

You aren't too surprised when the enemy emerges unscathed. Disappointed would have been more accurate. It is a pity that you don't have more gas canisters lying around.

In the aftermath of things, including that really embarrassing episode of his memories being altered by Tsukishima, you find yourself standing outside a certain shop owned by a handsome shopkeeper who was, by no means, humble or ordinary.

"Mizuiro-kun?" There is genuine surprise in Urahara-san's voice as he steps out from a fancy set of traditional Japanese sliding panels. You try not to think of where it leads, where he had been, or how there are a couple more people dressed in black shihakusho with white haori draped in different fashions.

You smile, polite as ever, introducing yourself as Kurosaki Ichigo's classmate.

"How nice to finally meet Ichigo's colleagues," you comment as carelessly as you dare, "Oh! I must meet the ones who tried to kill my friends. Nothing builds a better foundation than bonding through murder, right?"

You flash another bright smile.

There is a tinkling of bells before you're staring into a one-eyed giant. He leers threateningly at you. Your smile widens just as someone in the background grouses something like _not another Ichimaru Gin_. You smile sweetly at the group of Shinigami.

"I like this kid! Join us when you're dead. Kenpachi's the name, boy!"

"Nice to meet you, Kenpachi-san. I suppose this lovely girl is yours?" You hold out a hand towards the puff of pink who slams into you in a high speed blur, knocking the breath out of you as you fall back.

You don't hit the ground. Warmth surrounds you as an amused chuckle tickles your ear. You shiver.

The hyperactive pink puff is still clinging on to you, shouting something about Pachinko and Yumiyumi and Braided Lady and you nod patronisingly.

"Still clumsy as ever, Mizuiro-kun."

Urahara-san's warmth seeps into your bones.

He is not in his gigai. The revelation startles you into motion, practically flinging yourself away from him and into a wall. No, that's not quite right. You look up to see a bemused Abarai-san.

"Yo, Kojima."

In a matter of seconds between the redhead's lips moving and the sound of his gravelly voice, you have regained your composure. "Hello, Abarai-san." The older man – much, much older, you remember, because Shinigami have all the time in the world – claps a hand on your back with an approving smile.

"Heard what ya did. Throwing bottles and some explosives at Aizen, ha! Damn brave of ya, Kojima."

Or stupid, you think, feeling Urahara-san hovering behind. Abarai's hand lingers longer than necessary before brushing innocently against the small of your back. You relax your muscles, wondering when you had tensed up.

"Aizen, hm?" you ponder out loud, "So that's what his name was..."

"Is." Urahara-san is standing beside you now, locking you in between him and Abarai. "He's still alive."

You remember the glint in those black and gold eyes. "Oh," you say, breathing a little faster. "Okay."

"Yeah. He won't be getting out, don't worry." Abarai says confidently, his fingers now settled on the curve of your back.

"I'm not worried about that. I just..."

There is a beat of silence before you feel Urahara-san's hand touching your arm. Then he is guiding you away from Abarai, who looks at you with a funny smile as he waves. You smile reflexively, aware of how Urahara-san is pulling you into the shop, past the aisles filled with candy, past the corridor and into a room. He closes the sliding panels and fixes a level gaze at you.

"What did Aizen Sousuke do to you?"

_Aizen Sousuke. _Now you have a name to the face.

"Nothing," you say, adjusting to the darkness of the room. It doesn't take you long to see that you are probably in Urahara-san's room. _Where he sleeps. The place where he spends his time, lying on the futon and– _

"What did he do to you?" Urahara-san is standing too close. It is just like that time, except that he doesn't use the fan to touch you. He's not wearing the ridiculous hat. Your heart hammers wildly, unable to understand what this was. Whatever _this_ was.

You shake your head mutely.

"Oi! Mizuiro! Where are you? Tatsuki's looking for you!" Ichigo's voice is too loud, too jarring. You jerk when Urahara-san's hand covers your mouth. The blond's stubbly jaw scraps against your cheek.

"Do you know what I think, Mizuiro?" You quiver when he speaks into your ear. "I think that you're afraid. Afraid but curious. And selfish. You flit too close to us, then leave us hanging when you daren't take the next step. Do you think it's fun? That it's a big joke, playing with your life like that?"

You gasp into Urahara-san's palm when something wraps around you. _Reiatsu_, you think. That's what it is. The invisible pressure.

"Can you feel it?"

You nod. The reiatsu twines round your limbs, pushing you against the door. Urahara-san whispers a string of words into your ear. A poem.

The next thing you know, you're waking up to Ichigo's furrowed gaze.

"What the hell?" he pushes you down and shakes his head, "You're having a really bad fever, Mizuiro. You're lucky that perverted Getaboushi found you."

You must look confused, because Ichigo sighs and explains. "You fainted while talking to Urahara last night. He said you didn't look too well."

You look down at your hands, remembering how Urahara-san had leaned in to you, trapping you in an intimate position that almost makes you blush. He had been reciting a poem, and, at the end of it, had whispered something else.

"_I've placed a kidou on you, Mizuiro. I'll know where you are. Know who you're with. If Aizen Sousuke ever lays a finger on you, I'll know."_

"Hey, Mizuiro. You listening?" Ichigo looks worried. You smile, a genuine one this time, hoping he wouldn't notice the way your knuckles have whitened from digging into your own palms. If you close your eyes, you can feel traces of Urahara-san weaved into your skin.

"Mizuirooooooooooooooooooooo!" Keigo bursts into the room with a frantic wail, holding on to your hands as he sobs dramatically into the futon. Abarai saunters in after him, pausing when his gaze meets yours, then settles comfortably onto the floor next to Ichigo. You listen to Keigo's rambles and smile. It fades slightly when Urahara-san steps into the room, his hat in place with a silly swagger as he talks about nothing.

"Missed me, Asano-san?" You slip into your mask again, noticing that only one of the four others in the room fell for it. Ichigo's scowl seems to be angrier than usual;.Abarai's fingers keeps brushing against yours. Urahara-san sits diagonally across you, stirring his cup of tea every now and then. It takes some time before Keigo calms down and decides to "find his beautiful goddesses". You don't bother asking him which one.

Once he had flounced out of the room, the atmosphere turns chilly.

"What's really going on, Urahara?" Ichigo breaks the silence gracelessly.

"Oya, you break my heart, Kurosaki-kun~ I'm just a humble, handsome and–"

"Cut the crap, Urahara-san." Abarai says then, holding up your arm with an accusing look. "I can feel your reiatsu in Kojima. What did you do to him?"

"I'm right here," you say pleasantly, "So could you all stop talking like I'm not?" The three of them look chastised, though you are sure that Urahara-san is smirking under the fan. "Urahara-san helped me with something, so I'm doing him a favour. An experiment." Your lies are seamless from years of practice.

"What sorta experiment involves him marking you like that?" Abarai chortles disbelievingly.

"One that is highly classified," you say coolly. Your fingers touch Abarai's arm. _I'm okay. Everything's okay._

Abarai doesn't look too happy, but he says gruffly, "You come to me if there's anything, you hear?"

Ichigo rubs his neck and sighs, "Don't do anything stupid." You can't help feeling that that is directed to Urahara-san too.

Soon, only Urahara-san is left. Abarai had returned to Soul Society, grumbling about paperwork. He dragged Ichigo along, saying that it was high time that the Substitute Shinigami "did his fair share of paperwork."

The room is quiet now. You close your eyes and try to get back to sleep.

"Not running away?" Urahara-san caresses your face.

"Whatever for?" You answer, leaning into his touch. A low chuckle sends shivers – nothing like the sort that Aizen Sousuke's presence did – down your back as Urahara-san embraces you from behind, spooning you in his arms. The both of you lay there, not speaking, for hours.

Then a thought occurs to you.

"You do know that this is cradle robbery, right?"

Urahara-san – _Kisuke, he says slyly, call me Kisuke_ – snickers.

"I hope you're not complaining, Mizuiro-kun~"

You find yourself smiling.

The world is a game.

And you always knew you'd win.

* * *

**A/N: **Decided to shift this section here to avoid taking up too much scroll space at the top, because I adore Mizuiro and tend to get carried away when talking about him.

Though his 'womanising' ways is played down as nothing more than a gag, I've always thought that it was rather telling of his personality. His relationship with his mother is practically non-existent and we do not have concrete information about his father. What can be inferred is that he probably leads a relatively affluent lifestyle with the freedom to do as he pleases. He prefers older women because, unlike his mother, they provide a constant in his life.

The possibility of Mizuiro being bisexual is, imo, rather high. I imagine that he'd be attracted to men who have gone through many things in life, and cannot stop himself from wanting to know more about such people.

Then Urahara/Mizuiro, Renji/Mizuiro, even Ichigo/Mizuiro happened. Also the barest hint of Aizen/Mizuiro.

The kidou that Urahara casts on Mizuiro may or may not be real, because for all his brilliance, we also know that Urahara is a cunning man. Like Aizen, he is a master of mind games. Which brings me to my next point – what does Urahara really wants with Mizuiro? If you noticed, he doesn't actually say anything about falling for Mizuiro. Kisuke, is, I feel, an enigmatic man who gets caught up in interesting/intriguing/mysterious things and people. It might or might not be the same when it comes to Mizuiro.

For Ichigo, it's more of a 'I've got your back no matter what' sort of relationship. He keeps a lookout for his friends, especially after he learns of the crazy brave thing that Mizuiro did. It changes how Ichigo looks at his friend and he starts noticing him a little more. They are at that age where curiosity is a big thing, so it wouldn't be that surprising if there's some sexual tension there.

Renji, too, only notices Mizuiro after the Explosives vs Aizen Episode. It's easy to like Mizuiro because he's quite a pretty boy and Renji has a weakness for that.

As for Aizen, who knows what that man is thinking? He might have felt the slightest traces of Urahara's reiatsu on Mizuiro (when Urahara was exerting his reiastsu in the shop the night they followed Ichigo) and found it worthy of investigating. Could be a whim. Plus Mizuiro had tried attacking him with such... conventionally human methods. Aizen/Mizuiro is a pairing that I'm kinda in love with right now, ha!

Also, the inspiration for this story comes from the saying 'still waters run deep', which sums up Mizuiro rather nicely. Has he been planning everything from the start? Did Kisuke see through his game?

... I have no regrets.


	4. Debt

**Disclaimer: **All characters appearing in Bleach belong to Kubo Tite. No infringement of copyright is intended and is not authorised by the respective copyright holders.

**Character(s):** Hikifune Kirio, Yamada Seinosuke

**Warnings:** None.

**Timeline: **Spoilers up till latest arc, The Thousand-Year Blood War.

* * *

**Debt**

"Watching over your subordinates again, Kirio?"

Dry amusement colours the man's hoarse voice. Hikifune Kirio, Zero Division's intelligence analyst and genius extraordinaire, flicks her fingers to dispel the kidou. Blue haze shimmered, fading away along with the moving images: a slipper sending a blonde flying straight into the wall, three figures in Soutaicho's room while the old man lectured them, and relieved, smiling faces elsewhere – _"Seireitei is home. This division and everyone in it too, Hiyori." – _while an underground cavern becomes encased in ice.

The images stilled with a silent command that Kirio didn't give.

"They are not my subordinates," she says coolly, pointedly not looking at the bespectacled man who is peering over her shoulder. His presence disgusts her. "What brings you here? Have you read the latest report?"

The man beams proudly. "What a workaholic you are, Kirio! I still remember my first day here, observing how you work. Can't believe it's almost a century." He adjusts his glasses, taking a seat next to the silent woman. His fingers touches the image's surface, sending ripples across the faces, blurring them into anonymity.

"Don't worry. I won't report this to our Taichou-sama," he says mockingly, letting his fringe obscure his eyes, "For old time's sake."

Kirio hates him. How he ever got recruited into the Royal Guard was something she'd always been suspicious about. It was agonising to face this man and be reminded of what she had left behind.

"What do you want, Yamada?" All pretence of niceties is dropped. Things are never simple with Yamada Seinosuke. A man of humble origins, he excelled in kidou and was eventually recruited by Unohana Taichou into the Fourth Division. He rose up the ranks fairly quickly, earning the Lieutenant's seat with his talent and capability when facing medical emergencies.

_One thing's for sure – Unohana didn't recruit him based on his stunning personality_, Kirio thought. His temper was legendary; rumour had it that he reverses healing kidou on unruly patients, a feat that was rare and unheard of for kidou specialists. She had witnessed his ability too many times to count and sometimes too close for comfort. Under Yamada's command, old wounds could be reopened, skin unraveling to reveal muscle and bones that cracked and split once again.

"Why'd you think I want something from you, Kirio?" Yamada asks innocently, taking off his glasses to rub his left eye.

She frowns. When had he started wearing glasses? As far as she remembers, the man had perfect eyesight.

Yamada must have noticed her looking as he slips his glasses into the folds of his sleeves. "Alright, alright. I give," he laughs, the sound sharp and shrill against her ears.

Kirio's frown deepens.

"Let's just say that I want a... favour. In exchange for keeping this a secret," he touches the kidou mirror again.

Kirio purses her lips. It was an unspoken rule that the Zero Division members were not to interfere with their previous lives. Be it an unranked Gotei officer or not, once loyalty has been sworn to serve the Spirit King, one has to start all over again.

"What sort of favour?" Kirio bares her teeth as a passable smile and dispels the kidou quickly, not trusting that Yamada would stay silent about the matter any longer. It was too late to erase what she had been watching, but there was a chance that the brazen fool had not made the connection.

Placing a finger over his lips, he smiles thinly. _Follow me_, he mouths. He leads them away from the Zero Division's grounds, sometimes stopping as if listening for something. It takes Kirio several moments before she recognises the place where Yamada has led them to: the Royal Senkaimon, used only by the Spirit King and his council.

He smiles at her. "Listen well, Kirio." She ignores how he says her name so casually. "No matter what happens, stay here. Do not go through this door. Do not leave our Division."

It is tempting to draw her sword against the shrewd smile.

"You know something," she says instead.

"I may know a thing or two," he says casually, surprising Kirio with his straightforward admission. "But I won't tell you anything."

"I don't trust you, Yamada."

"It's a good thing that I don't need your trust then." Yamada smiles again. If she squints hard, his genuine smile bears some resemblance to his younger brother, the young healer whose bravery had unwittingly changed the course of several individuals' lives.

"Soul Society will be facing a huge hurdle soon, Kirio," he turns to face the Royal Senkaimon. "Few will survive, and those who do might wish themselves dead. Things will be –no. Things _have_ already begun. The wheel of Fate will crush them."

"What are you talking about!?" Kirio hisses. "Do you even know what you're saying?"

"The truth, my dear Intelligence Analyst. Why? Surprised to know that I know of the Gotei's sins and how it's going to cost them dearly?"

Kirio inhales sharply, stepping back in shock. "How did you–"

"I may be a lowly ranking Zero Division member but I'm neither blind nor deaf to the things that people say. Or what they avoid saying."

She bristles. "You are suggesting treachery."

"Treachery?" Yamada laughs. "Treachery is only for those who have sworn loyalty. I have no such feelings towards that thing."

"That is not a 'thing', Yamada. It is the –"

"The Soul King? Oh, I know all about the Soul King and what it represents," he turns his head and Kirio flinches at the sharpness of his gaze, "Can't dethrone the throne, can we? Besides, I'm not asking you to do anything. Just stay put here. Watch what happens and, hopefully, stay alive when the Gotei's sins arrive."

"What do you know?" She asks again. It is a futile attempt and they know it.

"How many of them can we save, Kirio? How many before the Zero Division caves in on itself?"

"Saving one life can change the course of events," she argues.

"Only if that life is worth saving," Yamada sneers, "And out of all of those in the Gotei, there are none whom I'd consider risking my life for."

"Even Unohana-taichou?" Kirio presses on, unwilling to give up on her point.

"That woman does not need my protection," Yamada retorts.

"What about your brother?"

"He has the Devil's luck," Yamada shrugs carelessly, "It wouldn't matter either way."

She doesn't know what to say to that.

"I will consider it," she whispers, "But I shall not promise anything. Our duties come before ourselves."

Yamada smiles. It looks strangely sad.

"If you say so," he bows politely, holding out his zanpakuto in a stance that suggested he was about to summon a Senkaimon. Except that there is a glaring difference – he appeared to be tearing the dimension fabric with his zanpakuto.

She nods slowly, not trusting him to drive his zanpakuto into her back,"Where are you going?"

This time, it is Yamada who takes his time to answer. She can tell that he is choosing his words carefully.

"The empty lands," he admits just as the Senkaimon distorts into a gaping darkness, "To repay a... favour."

"Urahara Kisuke?" Kirio blurts out, reaching for her own zanpakuto. There's still time, she thinks, to fire a warning kidou to alert others of Yamada's apparent change of loyalty.

A whisper, then silence.

The gash mends itself, leaving no sign of Yamada ever being there.

Kirio stares at the empty spot with a sinking feeling. Yamada's whisper lingers in her mind, throwing ripples across her steadfast beliefs.

"_Do you think the Soul King exists just for Soul Society? Kingdoms rise and fall all the time."_

* * *

**A/N: **Just a hint of a crack theory regarding the unveiling of the Soul King in Bleach, along with the Zero Division's future battle(s) against the Vandenreich. The Soul King is, imo, existing for the sake of balance. It's been referred to as a 'thing' as per Urahara & Aizen's conversation (somewhere in the Deicide arc, I think). There's a backstory about how Yamada Seinosuke (yes, he is Hanataro's older brother and ex-lieutant of the Fourth Division) became part of the Zero Division, which will be featured in the future. So, what's happening is that Yamada is going to Hueco Mundo to make preparations for Urahara Kisuke. And he wants Hikifune Kirio to stay put no matter what happens because the Vandenreich are not able to enter the Royal Dimension. So, they will have a chance to survive if they stay there instead of being all gung-ho and fighting in Soul Society or the Vandenreich's home ground. As for the reason why he wants her to stay, I'm going to leave it as her role as an Intelligence Analyst, which is gonna be super helpful when coming up with a strategy against the baddies. On hindsight, it does seems like a crack pairing borne from my lack of sleep.


End file.
